Children and people in low-income areas are hit the hardest by food-borne diseases, which strike as many as 600 million people annually, or one in 10 of the global population, said the World Health Organization in its most comprehensive tally yet. An estimated 420,000 people die from the consumption of contaminated food. Thirty percent of the deaths are children under the age of 5 although they are only 5 percent of the population, said the WHO. The UN agency said its figures were conservative, but “it is apparent the global burden of food-borne diseases is considerable, affecting people all over the earth.”
Diarrhoeal diseases, caused by viruses such as norovirus, salmonella, campylobachtor, and E. coli, are the greatest threat. They cause 550 million cases of disease and 230,000 deaths per year, said WHO. “Children are at particular risk,” it said, with 220 million cases and 96,000 deaths. Food-borne disease can cause short-term symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea, and longer-term illnesses such as cancer, kidney failure and neural disorders.
“The risk of foodborne diseases is most severe in low- and middle-income countries, linked to preparing food with unsafe water; poor hygiene and inadequate conditions in food production and storage; lower levels of literacy and education; and insufficient food safety legislation or implementation of such legislation,” said WHO.